Turn Again
by HopeCoppice
Summary: Bertrand thinks he's fixing things, but is he really helping or making things worse? Spoilers, sort of, for series 4 up to 4x03. Turning, character death. V/E, sort of.
1. Chapter 1

**Random thing that sprung to mind earlier when someone brought up Bertrand/Erin. Which this is decidedly not. However, Vlerin fans may wish to stop reading at the end of this chapter. You've been warned, I say no more.**

**Disclaimer: Show = not mine. This travesty of a story = mine. Got it? Good.**

"No, Vladdy! You can't keep a breather hanging around the school. Perhaps if she was a vampire you could keep her as your mistress, but she's not, so it's out of the question." The Count's mind was made up, and there was no altering it.

Vlad stormed off to his room, stopping only to give Bertrand a despairing look, a plea for some kind of solution.  
"There's got to be some way, _any_ way. I just want Erin." Then he was gone.

Bertrand had checked all the books, he'd quizzed the Count, he knew exactly what was acceptable and what wasn't for the Chosen One's domestic arrangements. But he thought that maybe, just maybe he'd found a way that the two star-crossed lovers could be together after all. He wouldn't tell Vlad until he was sure it had worked.

"Erin, you must be missing the slayer training exercises." She frowned suspiciously at him, but nodded all the same. "Would you like to train with me?" For a few awful moments he thought she was going to refuse, but then she nodded and followed him down to the training room.

They worked for about forty minutes before Bertrand made his move, Erin gradually relaxing around him as he put her through her paces, then showed her a few of his kendo moves. Predictably, she asked him to teach her, and allowed him to put his arms around her to correct her grip. In a flash of fangs, she was his, caught in his grip as her blood flowed and he concentrated very hard on making it a nice, clean turning.

"Vlad?" She stood in the doorway of her boyfriend's room, nervous all of a sudden as he turned and his eyes locked onto the bitemark on her neck. Bertrand watched his reaction carefully as she continued speaking. "I can stay with you now."

The Chosen One stared at her for several long moments, then his eyes met Bertrand's and he nodded curtly in thanks. He left them to their eternity.


	2. Chapter 2

**I apologise for this except oh no wait no I don't cos it's angsty but frankly it's probably accurate and HEY can you tell I'm writing my ANs at 2am again?**

**Disclaimer: Show = not mine. This = mine. Unfortunately, there is no getting round those two facts.**

Vlad knew Bertrand had been trying to help. He should have been more careful; hadn't he read, in History class under none other than Bertrand's watchful eye, the tale of Thomas Becket and how a single miscommunication could end a life? King Henry's mistake had cost the Archbishop's life, and now it seemed Vlad's had cost Erin's.

He stood, turned her face towards him, studying her intently. There was pain in her eyes, and sorrow, and he knew she didn't want this any more than she ever had.  
"Erin, I'm so sorry." She shook her head.  
"But this means I can marry you, not Adze, right? That's… that's worth it." She didn't seem sure; he steeled himself to break her heart again.  
"It means you can stay with me, if you want. But I'll still have to make the political marriage with Adze." Her face fell.  
"I'm not being your _mistress_, Vlad. Jonno was right." She met his eyes, afraid, but he already knew what she was going to say. "Better dead than undead."

Vlad ran a hand over her pale cheek, trailed fingers down her neck to inspect the neat wound where Bertrand had bitten her.  
"Do you really mean that?" She nodded.  
"I can… I'm going to go. My… my kit's still in my room." He shook his head.  
"No, it's not. It's in mine." She frowned. "Security measure. Besides, I'm not letting you do that."  
"Vlad, I can't be a vampire, I don't want this-"  
"Not alone." He held out her slaying kit, watched her hands shake as she rifled through it for her stake.

He couldn't believe it had come to this, tears sliding down both their cheeks as she aimed the wooden point straight at her heart. Vlad's hand came to cover hers on the handle as he pulled her into one last embrace.  
"Are you sure?" She nodded, pressing a clumsy kiss to his lips.  
"I love you." He nodded in return, and then her hand moved, pulling him forward as the stake pierced her chest.

Vlad stood with the dust for a moment, staring in stunned silence at the remains of his beautiful breather girlfriend. Then he left. When Bertrand asked what had happened, he told him she'd forgotten about her new sunlight problem. Better that he think it was an accident.

Otherwise, he knew Bertrand would never forgive himself for his mistake.


End file.
